CAS(E) this Sketch: Cheers to You!

This is my second post today.

If you are looking for the My Favorite Things Release Rewind,

it's just a post away BUT the card in this post also uses MFT new products!!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

There is so much that you can do with these three elements.  As is usual, I am amazed by the variety of elements that the design team has come up with.  I went with actual circles because I have these fun new dies from My Favorite Things.


You won't believe how I picked these colors?  Blue margaritas - do you see it?  Red wine.  Champagne!  I wonder what that says about my state of mind as I was creating this card!?  I cut the circles in their colors and then again in white.  I painted the white with MFT's Glitter Glaze to give it shine and a bit of sparkle.   I think it all says "cheers"!
I hope you can play along - I look forward to seeing what everybody uses for those three elements!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Celebrate Big
• Paper: MFT Blue Raspberry, Brick Red, Natural, Project Life Midnight Edition (the stripes)
• Ink: MFT Brick Red
• Accessories: MFT Cheers Glass Charms Die-namics, Pretty Pink Posh flat black sequins, Hemptique 10 lb black twine

My Favorite Things Stamps Product Launch

Guess what?

All of the My Favorite Things stamps, dies, ink, cardstock, etc. that you have seen on my blog over the last week are now available!!  And if you haven't quite decided, the entire design team is participating with Product Launch posts.  If you head over to the My Favorite Things blog, you can click through to each blog and see even more inspiration!

I want to thank all of the fine people at My Favorite Things for asking me be part of December's release.  It has been a fabulous experience - there are great people running MFT and there's such a variety of fun products!  I will have one more post on Thursday of this week as part of the Release Rewind, but that won't be the last that you see of MFT on my blog.  I used MFT regularly before my guest spot and you'll see more after (you won't believe the Christmas stamps that I have in my NBUS stash!)

I went with congrats and celebration theme for my Product Launch cards.  The first card uses the Celebratory Greetings Die-namics, the Polka Dot Cover Die-namics from today's release.  I also used DC Party Balloons and Party Balloons Die-namics.  The colors on this card are Natural, Berrylicious and Wild Cherry.


This next card uses a set that I have not yet shown you on my blog - Celebrate Big.  It's one of those versatile sets that includes large and small sentiments, plain and script fonts - and they all work together.  

I used a die set that I have had for awhile. The Flower Medley Die-namic includes a nice variety of flowers that all layer nicely.  The leaves come from the Leaf-Filled Flourish Die-namic (although I did cut and re-adjust a couple of tendrils to fit my card.)  The scallop is the Open Scallop Edge.  I also used the Woodgrain Background stamp in white on the blue.
This card went in a different direction than I had originally planned. I have been telling you that I wanted to show you the MFT colors, so I sat down to review what I had used.  I missed quite a few!  So I tucked a four of them in this card - Hot Fudge, Paver Red, Olive and Sno Cone. It's a different combination for me - but I like it!
I used the current Sweet Sunday sketch for this card.

Be sure to check out the Product Launch posts by the rest of the design team and be very sure to head over to the My Favorite Things blog to see if you were one of the prize winners from this past week!

Quick Cards with CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!

There is absolutely no chance that I will ever be nominated for mom-of-the-year.  It was about 7 pm on Thursday night.  My two children were at a football game until 8 pm.  It suddenly occurred to me that they had the biggest weekend of their lives coming up and I hadn't made any cards of encouragement or congratulations.  It is the state marching band competition this weekend.  These kids have been working on their show starting with a two-week marching camp in July, into the school year, straight through daily rehearsals during fall break - and it's now the final weekend.

I am not a fast card maker.  You will never see me in the 10 minute challenges.  Even my simplest cards typically require multiple changes and re-dos - not to mention multiple photos and edits - before I am happy with them (and sometimes, I'm not even happy then!).  But Thursday night, in 60 minutes (OK, maybe 70 minutes) - I did six cards - and I mostly like them!

Thank goodness for CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!  They have great contemporary sentiments that work perfectly in these situations.  I did six cards for my two teenage boys, who aren't typically easy to make cards for! These first two cards were encouragement on Friday morning before the entire weekend began.  Noise...marching band...how perfect!  Everything comes from the Woot Woot set.



FYI: the flag and the "washi" tape were made with dies from My Favorite Things.I did get a starting point for this one from Freshly Made Sketches.

I am fairly certain we will end up placing higher than our marching band has ever placed.  We won't win it - there are a few fabulous marching band dynasties that win it year after year.  Our kids would be thrilled to be in the top 8 and are secretly hoping for 5th.  I'm thinking somewhere in the middle.  But assuming that they are thrilled with the outcome, here are the congrats cards.  All of these stamps are still from Woot Woot.


I was needing inspiration at this point, so I got these great colors from Sunday Stamps.  In real life, my blue is closer to the teal that is in the inspiration photo - but I edited so quickly I messed up the colors!

Then there are two cards that I am hoping never see the light of day and end up in the garbage.  Not that there is anything wrong with them - but it means my kids are disappointed.  The sentiment comes from Tech Talk and the asterisk from Exclamations along with the coordinating die. 

At quarter finals yesterday, the band ended up once place lower than hoped for.  One place higher and we wouldn't be up at 3:45 a.m. this morning getting ready to take them to the bus for semi finals.  One place higher would have moved their performance three hours later and after two of their main competitors which does make a difference in the judging..  They are discouraged but still hopeful of making finals tonight.  
Keep your fingers crossed for my boys and the Chaparral High School Marching Band!!!

Freshly Made and Color Throwdown: Congratulations

Two challenges popped up this morning that I thought would be perfect for one of my unused sets that I have been eyeing lately.  The set is this year's Papertrey Ink anniversary set - Birds & Blooms.  I got it right away because I had the points - but I've been feeling like it would be a total pain to line it all up - so I have ignored it.  As it turns out, PTI did a great job as each layer has a little tab that lines up and makes it quite easy.



Because I wasn't sure that I was going to like the set, I didn't get the coordinating dies that came out the next month.  Because I do like dimension, I added some white Glitter Domes from Mark Richards.  But I think the dies are going onto my wishlist so that I can pop up the little flowers (and don't have to handcut the bird!)
The sketch is from Freshly Made Sketches and I knew that the large square would perfectly hold the wreath.

The colors come from color throwdown along with a bridal bouquet image.  I think my card could be used as a wedding card or even a new pregnancy or baby card.

• Stamps: Papertrey Ink Birds & Blooms, Simple Little Things (sentiment)
• Paper: white
• Ink: Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive
• Accessories: Crafts-Too Embossing Folder, Papertrey Ink Double Ended Banner die, Mark Richards Crystal Dome sickers, Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry Taffeta

A CAS-ual Mood Board: Way to Go!!

The current WPlus9 Monday Mood Board has a red, white and blue theme.

The current CASual Fridays challenge is congratulations.  

I have to make an 8th grade graduation card for a young man whose school colors are red and blue.

Hmmmm....

• Stamps: WPlus9 Label Layers 4 (sentiment), A Pocketful (stars)
• Paper: Stampin' Up Midnight Muse, Real Red, Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Midnight Muse
• Accessories: Red, Silver, Gold Stickles

Headlining at RETROsketches!!!

I have the amazing honor and privilege of headlining at RETROsketches!!  They have an amazing team of designers.  Each sketch is so unique and creative and come from cards that the team had made in the past.  Later in the month, there will be a sketch based on one of my past cards - I am thrilled!!!!

This week's sketch comes from a card by Kasia Curry.  (It will be interesting to see what her new take on her card will be as she has a brand new baby boy and is likely a little sleep deprived!  Congrats Kasia!!)

I need a card for my teenage son.  He studied more than I have ever seen him study for two tests this past week and I want to be prepared when the results come out.  (Fingers crossed!).  The "deserve it" part of the sentiment doesn't come from the idea that he's a nice guy and deserves good results - I want to emphasize to him that he worked hard and that's what it takes!!


I obviously did not focus on the four individual heart elements, but I was inspired by the vertical "stripes" formed by the row of hearts.  I wanted to keep my card as minimal as possible since it is destined for a teenage boy.

• Stamps: Verve Treasured Words
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Real Red
• Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
• Accessories: Memory Box Piestra Tile Die, My Favorite Things Fishtail dies, A Flair for Buttons (etsy), misc star punch, Timeless Twine, Crazy for Kraft, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter (on the star)